Instruction chart



Sept. 29, 1931. K. HICKS 1,825,063

INSTRUCTION CHART F'iled Sept. 5, 1930 15' 4.1. y Y 1 14.22 1; 7 F1 +5 11\ 15 g INVENTOR NELLIE K. HICKS ATTOEY.

Patented Sept. 29, 1931 NELLIE KITTS HICKS, OF HAYWOOD, CALIFORNIA msrnuc'rron CHART Application filed September-"3, 1930. Serial n. 479,495.

My invention relates to an instruction chart that is especially designed foruse inf the instruction of pupils in schools and the like and the princlpal object o'fmy invention is, to provide a relatively simple, practical and inexpensive chart that is constructed and marked with data so that it may be conveniently and advantageously used for the teaching of multiplication and division. 9

A further object of my invention is, to provide an instructionchart of the character referred to .that includes a suitable support and housing and a pair of flexible charts that are mounted for operation *on spring actuated rollers of the; type that aregenerally used for the support of window shades and which charts may be easily and quickly manipulated so as to present problems in multiplication and division andthe'results thereof, thereby providing a simple, convenient and accurate instruction chart; I

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my'invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts that will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated accompanying drawings in which: i

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view "of my improved instruction chart and showing the parts thereof adjusted soasto present the results of multiplication of the digit 9.

'Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 1s a rear elevational view of the lower end portion of the flexible'ch art that V carries the products resulting from multiplication of the digits. 1

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are front elevational views of the chart with the parts thereof shifted into different positions so as to present different problems in multiplication and division. j v

The combined support and housing for "my improved chart may be formed of wood or metal and such supportand housing comprises a rear wall or panel 10, a horizontally disposed upper panel 11 and'end walls 12, said parts being arranged soas to form an: elongated housing open at front and at. the

in the bottom. If desired the housing maybe provided with a suitable cover which is applied to' said housing when the'same is in storage or during transportation.

- Secured to the upper portion of the rear. panel 10 and projectingupwardly therefrom are perforated ears 13 that are adapted to pins, screws or the like soas to support the housing on a wall or other fixed" member.

receive Secured'to the fronteface of rear panel adjacent to the endwalls ,12 and midway be tween the top panel 11 and the lower edgesv of the rear panel IO-andend walls 12 are brackets 14 that serve as bearings for the pintles on the ends of an ordinary spring actuatedroller 15 such as is used fo the pp Of Window shades. ,1 r

, Secured to and projectingforwardly from" the rear panel 10 just below the brackets 14:, are similar brackets 16 that serve as bear;

ings for the pintles of a "spring actuated roller 17 and which latter occupies a position parallel with and just below the roller15;

V Projecting forwardly from the upper portion of panel 10 are brackets 18 that serve as bearings for the journals of a roller I9 and which latter occupies a position parallel with and above roller 15. There are no springs associated with roller 19 so that the: same" rotates freely in both directions;

Secured to roller 15 in any suitable manneris one end of a flexible sheet 20 of paper, fabrioor. a combination of. paper and fabric and the front face of which sheet'bearsa row of digits and lines as hereinafter more specifically described and thus saidflexible sheet forms'achart that cooperates'with another chart in producing the desired results; Secured to the lower free end of the flex ible sheet 20 .isa small reenforcing. rofd'or strip21. VVhenproperly positioned for-use, the flexible member 20 depends from the rear portion of the roller I5. 7 Formed in sheet'20at' apoint midway be tween the side edges thereof and ashort distance above the lower free end of said strip is an opening 22,-preferably' circular in form and appearing on the front face of said member 20 a short distance above and parallel with the reenforcing member 21 is a horizontally disposed row of equal sized areas 23, preferably square, and which are bounded by straight lines 24.

Appearing on the surface of member within these areas 23 are the nine digits and also the number-s10, 11 and 12. If desired spaces or areas 23 may be 'providedfor the accommodation of numbers higher than 12.

The digits and numbers just mentioned may be arranged so that they do not appear in consecutive order, such arrangement be ing illustrated in Fig. 1 or, if desired, they may be arranged so that they be read in proper numerical order fr'om left to right.

These digits and numbers from 1 to 12inclusive constitute the multipliers when .my

improved chart is utilized for,teachingmule tiplication.

Appearing on the face of member 2Q "extending from the upper :central portions ofthe areas in which the areas 23 in w-hicli the digits andcnumber-s appear upwardlyand inwardly, are straight converging lines 2 which terminate at the lower portion of the opening22.v Appearing onthe face of flexible member. 20 and extending from the points where the lines 25 join the lines atthe upper edgesof the vareas 23, upwardly or longitudinally of said member 26 are lines 26-that are parallel with each other and parallel with the side edges of member 20. These lines 26 are formed or colored so that they may be readily distinguished from the inclined lines If desired the lines 26 may be solid or continuous or they may be dotted or dash and dot.

Secured in the conventional spring actuated noller 17 is one end of a flexible sheet 27 of suitable material such as paper, fabric or a combination of paper and fHrbIf-lC-iLIlCl from said roller 17 theweb of this sheet extends upwardly in front .of rollerlb, thence over freerunning roller 19 and thence downwardly. behind flexible sheet 20.

This 7 flexible member 27 is somewhat lo er than flexible member 20 and the lowor v vided with .a small reenforcingrod or strip Appearing on thefront face of flexible member27 midway between the side edges thereof is avertically disposed row of digits fmm 2 i012 inclusive, thesame being spaced equi-edistant from eachother and arranged so that they will appear in succession through the opening 22 in the flexible men ber 20 as the latter. israised' .or lowered or as member 27 is raised or lowered relative to member20; vertical row of digits function :as nultiplicands when the chart is utilized for teaching multiplication.

- .A ,ppear-1.ng onithe rear. face of the flexible member 2,7,,w1th1n areas or spaces 29 are manner toso end of said member 27 may be pro responding multiplier numbers within the 1 spaces 23.

The numbers appearing in the transversely disposed rows on the rear face of mem-- her27 aretheproductsfiof the multiplicands and the multipliers;

lnasmuchias the lateral sp acingiof the areas 29 'containing the products, corresponds vwith the lateral spacing .of the areas 23,.the vertically d'sposed parallel lines 26 that extend upwardly from the spaces '23, coincide with or lead directly to the lower portions of the, spaces .29 I that are occupied bythe product numbers.

In the operationof my improvedfchart for; the teachingofmultiplication flexible member 20 is drawn downward until the opening 22 occupiesa positionga short distanoe -below roller 17and flexible member 27, .i-s now drawn downward and adjusted after the mannervof vthe ordinary spring shade roller so that thedesired multiplicand appearsvthrough opening22.

Inasmuch as the-rows of product numbers on therearf-ace of member27 are properly arranged-relative to the digits functioning as multiplicands, the row of numbers that are the; products of multiplication of the multiplicand appearing through opening 22 by the multipliers in the spaces 23 will appear on the front face of that portion of member 27; that is positioned between the rollers=l9-and 17. For example, when the chart isfpositioned as iillustratedin Fig. '1, a pupilnoting themultiplicand 9 and then following the diagonal'lines 25 that lead downwardly from theopening 22 through which the multiplicand appears,-to the mul-' tipliers in the -spaces 23 and then following the distinctively marked or-colored lines 26 upwardly tothe exposed portion of the face of fi exible member 27 may observe the prod ucts, of multiplication-of the multiplicand. Any-adjustmentor change of position of member 27 to bring one of the multiplicands into view through opening 22 automatically effects a change in the row of products brought into view on exposed portionvof the face 1 of fiexible member 27 and thus the teaching of multiplication maybe very readily accomplished ..-The length of-flexible-member is such that there is a blank of products.

Various adjustments and manipulations of the flexible members 20 and 27 maybe made in order to bring about different problems in the teaching of multiplication and division and as a result the teaching and rating of pupils in accuracy, speed and progress may be readily and conveniently accomplished.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6, I have shown the flexible members adjusted to different relative positions in order to produce different problems used in teaching multiplication and division,

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an instruction chart that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, capable of being quickly and easily adjusted to present different problems and which chart is very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form andconstruction of the "aspace beyond the rows rious parts of my improved instruction chart may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A11 instruction chart, comprising a support, a pair of spring actuated rollers journaled on said support and disposed in parallel arrangement one directly above the other, a free running roller journaled on said support above and parallel withsaid spring actuated rollers, a flexible member secured to the upper one of said spring actuated rollers and depending from the rear thereof, said flexible member being provided at a point midway between its sides with an opening and with a transversely disposed row of digits and numbersthat are arranged parallel with and adjacent to its lower edge, a flexible member secured to the lower one of the spring actuated rollers and extending upwardly in front of the upper one of the spring actuated rollers, over the free running roller, thence downwardly behind the spring actuated rollers and the depending portion of the flexible member that is carried by the upper one of said spring actuated rollers, the front face of the second mentioned flexible member bearing a centrally arranged vertically disposed row of digits and numbers that are visible in succession through the opening in the first mentioned flexible member as one flexible member is adjusted vertically relative to'the other and the rear face of the second mentioned flexible member bearing transversely disposed rows of digits and numbers that bear relation to the digits and numbers on the front faces of the flexible members and which appear in succession on the frontface of that portion of said second mentioned flexible member that is positioned between the free running roller and the lower one of the spring actuated rollers.

An instruction chart, as set forth in claim 1, and thefront face of the first men-,

tioned chart bearing straight lines that lead from the lower portion of the opening in said flexible member to the digits and numbers forming the transversely disposed row that is arranged parallelwith and adjacent to the lower edge of said flexible member.

3. An instruction chart, as set forth in claim 1, with the front face of the first mentioned chart bearing straight lines that lead from the lower portion of the opening in said flexible member to the digits and numbers forming the that is arranged parallel with and adjacent to the lower edge of said flexible member transversely disposed row 

